Champions League
Another season starts.
Tonight Results
Celtic (1) - (3) Barcelona
Valencia (2) - (0) Anderlecht
Paris Saint Germain (0) - (3) Chelsea
Arsenal (1) - (0) PSV Eindhoven
Panathinaikos (2) - (1) Rosenborg
Internazionale (2) - (0) Werder Bremen
FC Porto (0) - (0) CSKA Moscow
Shakhtar Donetsk (0) - (1) Milan
Alex own goal gives Arsenal the points](Yahoo is part of the Yahoo family of brands.)
LONDON (Reuters) - English champions Arsenal needed an own goal to make a winning start to their Champions League campaign in a 1-0 Group E victory over PSV Eindhoven.
Arsenal had plenty of possession during the Tuesday game but could only find a way through PSV’s rearguard when Brazilian defender Alex turned a Thierry Henry cutback into his own net after 42 minutes.
Though they deserved the points, the difficulty in wresting them from Guus Hiddink’s well-organised side was a reminder that Arsenal have long under-performed in this competition.
Hiddink’s side denied Arsenal the time and space which they enjoy in the Premier League and could have snatched a draw in the closing stages.
Arsenal had Robert Pires playing in an unfamiliar role on the right in place of injured Fredrik Ljungberg, with Spanish international Jose Antonio Reyes playing on the left.
Against a disciplined opponent, Arsenal took nearly 15 minutes to warm up, before Henry put Reyes in for an angled effort and the France striker rifled a shot into the side netting.
Arsenal continued to press but lacked the killer final ball through a packed defence, though Pires should have done better than the scuffed volley from an Ashley Cole chip.
ARSENAL BREAKTHROUGH
Arsenal thought the breakthrough had come in the 37th minute when keeper Edwin Zoetebier punched out Henry’s rasping shot and Pires headed home – from an offside position.
Five minutes later Henry won back possession by the touchline, darted into the area and saw his cutback turned in by Alex, who was being pressured by the lurking Patrick Vieira.
There was little change after the re-start, with Arsenal looking for the security of a second goal but denied the opportunity in a game of few chances.
Henry had a free kick charged down, while PSV’s Park Ji-Sung and Van Bommel failed to keep attempts on target and Arsenal’s Brazilian midfielder Gilberto sent a header from a Dennis Bergkamp free kick wide of the post.
PSV’s best chance fell to substitute Jan Vennegor of Hesselink in the closing stages but he failed to make the most of a free shot from close range, while Park had an effort blocked in a final onslaught
Deadly Drogba scores twice as Chelsea pass French test](http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/040914/1/6igk.html)
Didier Drogba returned to haunt Paris Saint-Germain as Chelsea enhanced their Champions League credentials with a 3-0 win.
Former Marseille striker Drogba - signed for £24m as part of Jose Mourinho’s summer spending spree - went some way to justifying his price tag with two goals that left the PSG boo-boys stunned.
The visitors lost Eidur Gudjohnsen early on with a head injury that required eight stitches but were soon celebrating as skipper John Terry headed them in front following a goalkeeping blunder by Lionel Letizi.
PSG - still looking for their first win of the French domestic season - enjoyed plenty of possession but were unable to break down a resolute Chelsea rearguard, marshalled superbly by Terry and William Gallas.
Modeste M’Bami and Bartholomew Ogbeche both saw shots smothered by the impressive Petr Cech.
But the home side were made to pay in first-half stoppage time when Drogba followed up a Mateja Kezman effort to steer the ball into an empty net.
Chelsea looked in cruise control and the influential Joe Cole came close to scoring five minutes after the break but saw his 20-yard drive clawed around the post by Letizi.
Pedro Pauleta should have done better after he skipped past Gallas but again his final shot went begging.
Bernard Mendy had a shot blocked before Danijel Ljuboja then tried his luck with a free-kick but his effort lacked direction.
Drogba killed the contest on 76 minutes after Kezman when he sent a show-stopping free-kick around the wall and beyond the helpless Letizi.
Horribly disappointing.